Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
., .
REFUGE INDICATOR
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a refuge indicator for letting
a rescue party or the like know whereabouts of a victim(s)
or a sufferer(s) at the occurrence of a pressing or emergency distress
such as a sea distress, a winter mountain disaster, a mountain disaster
and a lost-way accident.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
in order to rescue a sufferer îrom a sea distress or the iike,
it is necessary that rescuers locate the place of a distress at first.
ConventionallY~ a radar is used as a method for detecting the distress
piace.
This detection method tracks down the distress place in such
a manner that a sufferer iniects a gas into a balloon that he carries,
to expand and release the balloon in the air while letting out a rope
which is connected to the balloon so that the balloon can receive
a radar wave and the radar can receive an echo wave (reception signal)
from the balloon, with the result that rescuers track down the distress
place.
With respect to the conventional balloon, a reflector surface
is formed through vacuum evaporation of aluminium on a surface of
a polYProPYlene film, a nylon film or the like so that the reflector
surface can receive and reflect a radar ~ave.
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.~ ,
However, with this detection method, the reflector surface
assumes a spherical shape at the expansion of the balloon, so that the
radar wave coming into collision with the reflector surface thereof
diffuses over a wide range and reflects at random. As a result, the
echo wave advances at random. For this reason, the radar experiences
difficulty in catching the echo wave surely, which makes it difficult
to locate the distress place quicklY and accurately, with the result
that it becomes impossible to rescue a sufferer quicklY~
In addition, since the balloon is floating in the air, there is
a possibility that rain droplets, snow and others adhere onto the
reflector surface. In this state, when the radar wave comes to
the reflector surface, a portion of the radar wave is absorbed by such
adhered obiects, while the other portion of the radar wave reflects at
random due to the adhered objects. Thus, the radar encounters further
difficulty in receiving the reflected wave (reception signal).
In light of the foregoing circumstances, the present invention
intends to provide a refuge indicator which enables rescures to locate
the place of a distress quickly and accurately. Another object of this
invention is to provide a refuge indicator which is convenient to carry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A refuge indicator according to the present invention
comprising; a flexibly transformable reflector provided within
a balloon, wherein said reflector is made to take a designed shape
in such a manner that its outer circumferential edge portions are
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pulled by tension means when the balloon is expanded.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line
Il-II of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line
III-III of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the body when the cap shown
in Fig. 1 and the balloon are detached therefrom.
Figs. 5A and 5B are illustrations of the air charging plug and
the base shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view
showing the air charging plug. Fig. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional
view showing the base.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the state of the use when
the cap is removed.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the state of the use when
the gas bomb is opened.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the state of the use when
the balloon is separated from the base.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the state of the use when
the rope winding bar is separated from the base.
Fig. 10 is an illustration of the state of the use when the
balloon is floating in the air at the place of a distress.
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Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the
line VI-VI of Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 is an enlarged view showing a principal section of
Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the reflector
chamber in Fig. 10.
Fig. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the second
embodiment of the present invention, corresponding to Fig. 11.
Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the third
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the fourth embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 17 is a front elevational view showing the fourth
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the fifth embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing the sixth embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 20 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the seventh
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the air
charging plug of Fig. 20.
Fig. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the balloon
and the reflector.
Fig. 23 is an enlarged view showing a principal section of
-
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Fig. 22.
Fig. 24 is an enlarged perspective view showing the triangular
corner reflector.
Fig. 25 is an enlarged perspective view showing the reflector.
Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view showing the eighth embodiment
of this invention.
Fig. 27 is a perspective view showing the ninth embodiment of
this invention.
Fig. 28 is a front elevational view showing the reflector of
Fig. 27.
Fig. 29 is a perspective view showing the tenth embodiment of
this invention.
Fig. 30 is a perspective view showing the eleventh embodiment
of this invention.
Fig. 31 is a perspective view showing the twelfth embodiment of
this invention.
Fig. 32 is an illustration of a portion of an enlarged cross
section taken along the line XXXI-XXXI of Fig. 31.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MOST PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
This inventor intended to solve the above-mentioned problems bY
placing an omnidirectional reflector within a balloon and sending up
the balloon in the air above the place of a distress.
The omnidirectional reflector signifies a nondirectional
reflector which can develop reflections in response to waves coming
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from all directions regardless of how the reflector is supported or
how the reflector moves.
A so-called corner reflector has been known as such an
omnidirectional reflector and is made to have a large effective
reflection area despite being a small target. As one example of this
corner reflector, a triangular corner reflector made with a combination
of three metallic plates perpendicular to each other, is well known.
This triangular corner reflector is made of metallic plates
with a high rigidity and is formed into a designed shape, hence it
can not be transformed freely when necessary.
On the other hand, in order to place a reflector within a
balloon, it is necessary that the reflector can be flexibly waded up
and stored in the folded state when it is not used, and the
reflector can be returned to the designed shape when it is used.
However, as mentioned above, the prior reflector is not flexibly
transformable because it is made of a rigid metal, therefore, it is
impossible to adopt the conventional reflector just us it is.
As a result of study, the inventor devised the reflector
comprising flexibly transformable reflector plates to complete this
invention, wherein outer circumferential edge portions of the
reflector plates are fixed to a tension means for pulling them at the
expansion or inflation of the balloon so that each of the reflector
plates comes into a flat shape and the reflector takes its designed
shape. This tension means can be an inner surface of the balloon
fixedly adhered to outer circumferential edge portions of the reflector
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t
plates, or the tension means can be a tube-like rib inflating
simultaneouslY with the expansion of the balloon. The former tension
means will be mainly described.
The balloon, accommodating a reflector, is made of a material
which allows the transmission of a radar wave, and the ballon is strong
and light in weight.
For example, there is an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin
as a usable material, but not particularly limited to this material.
A different material can be suitably adopted if necessary.
In addition, the given shape of the balloon at the expansion
can be suitably chosen from a spherical shape, a cubic shape, a RugbY
ball shape or the like if necessarY.
The reflector needs to be freely defomable and return to its
designed shape at the expansion of the balloon. The reason is that,
if the reflector does not form the designed shape at the time the radar
wave comes into collision with the reflector, the radar wave reflects
at random. It hinders the radar from receiving the echo wave without
fail.
This reflector is constructed as an omnidirectional reflector,
for example, comprising three reflector plates perpendicular to each
other, that is, composed of a disc-like longitudinal reflector plate,
a disc-like lateral reflector plate and a disc-like horizontal
reflector plate, to define eight reflector chambers in total: four on
each of an upper surface and a lower surface of the horizontal
reflector plate. Each of the reflector chambers is surrounded by three
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,~
reflective surfaces normal to each other to create a triangular corner
reflector.
Each of these reflector plates is made of the same material as
that of the balloon, and a metallic layer with an excellent dielectric
characteristic such as an aluminium layer by vacuum evaporation is
formed on the surfaces of the reflector plates. This reflector plate
is not necessarilY confined to this material, but a different material
is adoptable if necessary.
The outer circumferential edge portions of the reflector plates
are fixedly secured to an inner surface of the balloon. An air inlet
of the balloon includes an air charging plug which is detachably
coupled to a gas bomb. In this air charging plug, a check valve is
provided for preventing leakage of a filler gas.
A string, a cord, a rope or the like (hereinafter refered to as
a rope) is attached to the balloon for making a connection between
a sufferer and the balloon. This rope is fixed to an air charging plug
of the balloon, but the way of fixing the rope is not limited to this.
For example, it is also appropriate that the balloon is covered by
a net and one end portion of the rope is fixed to this net.
In this instance, tensile force to the net is transmitted
to the balloon dispersively, with the result that the balloon does not
suffer a large load of the sectional tensile force.
When opening the gas bomb to supply a gas such as helium gas
through the air inlet into the balloon, the gas comes into the
respective reflector chambers through a supply and discharge common
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hole to expand the balloon so as to be the given shape. At this time,
the outer circumferential edge portion of each of the reflector plates
is pulled by the inner surface of the balloon so that each of the
reflector plates takes a flat shaPe and with the result the reflector
takes the designed shape.
After one end portion of the rope is fixedly secured to the
clothes of the sufferer such as a life iacket, the air charge plug is
cut off from the gas bomb so that the balloon floats in the air above
the place of the distress.
If the radar wave advances toward the balloon, the radar wave
comes into collision with the reflector and then reflects thereon toward
the radar side, while the radar receives the echo signal (reception
signal).
First Embodiment
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described
~ with reference to Figs. 1 to 13.
A portable case A is made of a material having a corrosion
resistance, a shock resistance, a heat resistance, and a cold
resistance, and as examples of such a material, there are a synthetic
resin, an ABS resin and the like.
This case A includes a body 1 and a cap 71, and its overall
length is 245 mm.
The body 1 is equipped with a bomb housing section 6 and
a partition plate 8 disposed on an upper end portion of the housing
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.~
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section 6. This housing section 6 accommodates an air charging means
such as a gas bomb 10 for supplying a gas into a balloon 50. In
addition, a side surface of the body 1 has a holder 3 for supporting
a band 4.
In the gas bomb 10, there is a sealed gas under the given
pressure, for example, helium gas under a high pressure of 360 kg/cm2.
It is also appropriate that a flow controller is provided to the bomb 10
to regulate the flow rate of the gas for adiusting discharging pressure
of the gas.
Further, the number of the bombs to be used can aPPropriatelY
be determined as necessary. For example, even one bomb 10 is
appropriate.
The partition plate 8 of the bodY 1 is equipped with a rope
housing section 11, an air inlet coupling section 15 and a slit 20 for
the rotation of an L-shaped lever 62.
The rope housing section 11 accommodates a holding bar 12
detachably. A rope 13 is wound around this bar 12. The diameter,
material, and length etc. of the rope 13 can be appropriately selected.
For example, a string or a cord is adoptable. As one example of the
string, a silken gut for fishing lines is used.
Further, the air inlet coupling section 15 is provided with
a base 16 having, at its central portion, a fitting hole 17 for
receiving an air charging plug 51. This fitting hole 17 is coupled
to one end of a common Pipe 30, and a spring section 18 is equiped on
the central portion of the fitting hole 17.
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This spring section 18 is constructed such that two triangular
leaf springs 18a and 18b are combined with each other to be
perpendicular to each other to form a quadrangular pYramid.
The air charging plug 51 of the balloon 50 is pushed in the
fitting hole 17, and a stopper 40 is inserted into a stopper hole 19
that is open to a side surface of the base 16.
This stoPper hole 19 is communicated with a ring grove 52 made
in an outer circumference of the air charging plug 51 and further
coupled to an inner wall groove section 17a of the fitting hole 17,
and the base 16 and the air charging plug 51 are integrally fixed bY
the insertion of the stopper 40 thereinto.
At this time, the air charging plug 51 is pressed by elastic
force of the spring section 18 in the direction to push the air
charging plug 51 out of the fitting hole 17. The stopper 40 is connected
to a pull cord 41 for easy draw-out.
The gas bomb 10 housed in the housing section 6 is provided
with a connection cap 60 which is coupled to the common pipe 30.
This cap 60 is equipped with a female screw section 61 engaged
with the outlet of the bomb 10, an L-shaped lever 62 placed to be
rotatable, and a needle 63 taking a sliding action in response to the
rotation of the lever 62 in order to open the bomb 10.
One end portion 62a of the L-shaped lever 62 is tied with
a pull cord 64, while the other end portion 62b thereof is placed into
contact with a slidable supporting bar 65 of the needle 63.
The needle 63 is located within a gas passage 67 to be slidable
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therein and is alwaYs pressed by a coil spring 69 of a spring chamber 68
toward the L-shaped lever 62 side. This gas passage 67 communicates
with a pipe connecting hole 66.
The air charging plug 51 is fixed in the air inlet 49 of the
balloon 50, and a check valve 70 is fitted in a gas passing hole 53 of
the air charging plug 51 in order to prevent gas leakage.
For example, the balloon 50 is made to expand into a spherical
shape with a diameter of 400 mm when the air is supplied thereinto, and
the balloon 50 is waded up and stuffed into a cap 71 when the air is
discharged. The balloon 50 is made of a material which allows the
transmission of the radar wave and which is strong and light in weight,
particularly it is preferable to be made of a material havin~g an
excellent corrosion resistance, shock resistance, heat resistance and
cold resistance. An example of the usable material, there is
an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, and when using this material,
it is also possible to place a polyethylene 56 having a thickness
of t2 = 15 ~ m on this resin 55 having a thickness of tl = 10 ~ m
by polymerization as shown in Fig. 12. The balloon 50 accommodates
an omnidirectional reflector 75. This reflector 75 is comprised of
three disc-like reflector plates 81, 82 and 83.
These reflector plates 81 to 83 are arranged to be
perpendicular to each other when the balloon 50 expands into a given
shape, and their whole outer circumferential edge portions 81a, 82a and
83a are welded to an inner surface of the balloon 50a.
This reflector 75 partitions the interior of the balloon 50
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into eight reflector chambers 75R, so that four reflector chambers
75R, each of them has a 1 / 8-spherical shaPe~ are defined on each of
the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal reflector plate 83.
This reflector chamber 75R has three reflective surfaces 81r,
82r and 83r which are arranged to meet at right angles ~ to each other
to form a triangular corner reflector SCR.
As illustrated in Fig. 12, these reflector plates 81 to 83 are
made up of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin 85 having
a thickness of ts = 10 ~ m, an polyester 86 having a thickness of
t6 = 15 ~ m placed on that copolymer resin 85 by porymerization, and
an aluminium layer 87 formed on the polyester 86 by aluminium vacuum
.
evaporation. For example, the thickness t~ of this aluminium layer 87
is made to be 400 angstroms. The thickness, material and others can be
determined as needed. A supplY and discharge common hole 90 is made in
the orthogonal center portion of the reflector Plates 81 to 83.
This supply and discharge hole 90 communicates with the gas
passage 53 of the air charging plug 51.
Next, an operation of this embodiment will be described.
In case of a distress at sea, a sufferer peels off the tape 5
of the portable case A attached to the band 4, and open the cap 71 by
a hand H as shown in Fig. 6. Then, the balloon 50A which is crumpled
into a small volume and the pull cords 64 for pulling L-shaPed levers
appear in sight.
When one of the pull cords 64 is Pulled as shown in Fig. 7, the
.~
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L-shaped lever 62 is rotated so as to press and slide the supporting
lever 65 toward the gas bomb 10.
Owing to this sliding motion of the supporting lever 65, the
needle 63 goes down and open a seal cover of the outlet of the bomb 10
by penetrating the seal cover.
~ hen the pull cord 64 is further pulled, one end portion
62b of the L-shaPed lever 62 goes up and the supporting lever 65 moves
upwardlY by the helP of the force of the coil spring 69, so that the
needle 63 returns to its original position.
When the seal cover of the bomb 10 is opened, the gas in the
bomb 10 passes through the pipe connection hole 66 of the gas passage
67, and the common pipe 30 succesively, and then flows into the fitting
hole 17 of the air inlet coupling section 15.
When this bomb 10 becomes empty, the other pull cord 64 is
pulled to supplY the gas in the other bomb 10 to the air inlet coupling
section 15 in the same waY.
The gas introduced into the fitting hole 17 passes through the
gas passing hole 53 of the air charging plug 51 to flow into the balloon
50 and further goes through the supply and discharge common hole 90 to
the respective reflector chambers 75R to bring the balloon 50 inflating
and taking the given shape.
With the inflation of the balloon 50, the outer circumferential
edge portions 81a to 83a of the respective reflector plates 81 to 83
are pulled outwardly bY the inner surface 50a of the balloon 50, with
the result that each of the respective reflector plates 81 to 83 comes
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into a flat plate shaPe and meets at right angles to each other, so that
four triangular corner reflectors as shown in Fig. 13 are formed on each
of the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal reflector plate 83,
that is, eight triangular corner reflectors in total are formed thereon,
thus assuming the designed shape.
The balloon 50 gradually inflates as shown in Fig. 8. After
the balloon 50 expands into the designed shape and the sound of air
charging stoPs, the pull cord 41 is drawn toward the front side so that
the stopper 40 is pulled out from the stopper hole 19, and the air
charging plug 51 is pulled out from the fitting hole 17.
At this time, since the air charging plug 51 is pressed against
the balloon 50 side by the spring section 18, the air charging plug 51
instantly iumPs out from the fitting hole 17 by the spring force of
the spring section 18 when the stopper 40 is drawn out.
As shown in Fig. 9, the holding bar 12 is drawn from the rope
housing section 11 and is fixed to a fitting section of the life jacket
L, and the holder 3 is detached from the band 4, and then the portable
case A is thrown away.
When a radar wave W is transmitted from a radar (not shown) and
incidents on the balloon 50, the radar wave W runs into any one surface
(81r) of the three reflective surfaces 81r, 82r and 83r which are
perpendicular to each other creates the first reflected wave rwl. This
reflected wave rwl further comes into collision with the reflective
surface 82r to create the second reflected wave rw2.
This second reflected wave r~2 still further collides against
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the reflective surface 83r to create the third reflected wave rw3. This
third reflected wave rw3 reflects back in the direction that the radar
wave initially came from.
Thus, after the triple reflections, the radar wave W reflects
back in the direction to the incident direction so as to be caught by
the radar.
Since the distress place is detected in this way, it is possible
to quickly and surelY rescue sufferers. In addition, since the balloon
and the reflector are flexiblY transformable, theY can be stored in the
crumpled state and they are convenient to carry.
The balloon in this embodiment can continuously float in the
air for several weeks or more.
Second Embodiment
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Fig. 14. The difference between this embodiment and the first
embodiment is the fixing method between the outer circumferential edge
portions 81a to 83a of the reflector plates 81 to 83 and the inner
surface 50a of the balloon 50. That is, in this embodiment, in place
of the overall outer circumferential edge portions 81a to 83a being
welded thereto, the outer circumferential edge portions 81a to 83a are
thermo-pressure-welded to the inner surface of the balloon, leaving gas
gap portions 83G. Since this allows the gas to be supplied and
discharged through the gas gap portions 83G, the suPPlY and discharge
common hole 90 of the first embodiment can be omissible. The size and
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number of gas gap portions 83G can be appropriately determined, taking
into consideration the strength of the reflector and others. For
example, four gas gap portions 83G are formed at equal intervals along
a circumferential direction.
Third Embodiment
The third embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Fig. 15. The difference between this embodiment and the first
embodiment is the fixing method of the rope 13. That is, in this
embodiment, instead of the rope 13 being connected with the air charging
plug 51, the balloon 50 is covered with a net 100 and the rope 13 is
connected to the net 100.
The size of the meshes, the material and others of the net 100
can be appropriately determined if necessary. For example, it is
possible to employ a net made of siIken gut for fishing lines. Through
the use of the net 100, when the rope 13 is drawn, tensile force is
transmitted through the net 100 to the balloon 50, which can prevent
the balloon 50 from experiencing a large load of the sectional tensile
force.
Fourth Embodiment
The fourth embodiment of this invention will be described with
Figs. 16 and 17. The difference between this embodiment and the first
embodiment is as follows:
(1) The material of a balloon 150 is an acrylic nitrile stylene
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acrylic ester, and the shape of the balloon 150 at its inflation takes
a regular cube. The length of one side of this regular cube is made to
be, for example, 400 mm.
(2) A reflector 175 is formed with square reflector plates 181 to
183, and the diagonal line 183a of the horizontal reflector plate 183
is made to coincide with the diagonal line of the longitudinal
reflector plate 181 so that both the reflector plates 183 and 181 meet
at right angles to each other, while the other diagonal line 183b of
the reflector plate 183 is made to coincide with the diagonal line of
the lateral reflector plate 182 so that both the reflector plates 183
and 182 meet at right angles with each other. In addition, in the
balloon 150, triangular pyramid reflector chambers 175R are formed,
each of them is surrounded by reflective surfaces 181r, 182r and 183r
each having a right-angled isosceles triangular shape. These three
reflective surfaces of the reflector chambers 175R meet at right angles
~ to one another to comprise a triangular corner reflector SCR.
Fifth Embodiment
The fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Fig. 18. The difference between this embodiment and the first
embodiment is as follows:
(1) A balloon 250 assumes a regular cube when it is inflated.
(2) A reflector 275 is constructed with square reflector plates
281 to 283, and the longitudinal reflector plate 281 and the lateral
reflector plate 282 are disposed on the middle point connecting lines
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283a and 283b of the horizontal reflector plate 283 to intersect
perpendicularlY to each other.
Regular cube reflector chambers 275R are formed, each of them
is surrounded by square reflective surfaces 281r, 282r and 283r.
These three reflective surfaces of the reflector chambers 275R
meet at right angles ~ to one another to constitute a triangular
corner reflector SCR. Incidentally, the middle point connecting line
means the straight line making connection between the middle points of
respective two opposite sides of the horizontal reflector plate.
Sixth Embodiment
The sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Fig. 19. The difference between this embodiment and the fifth
embodiment is that the longitudinal reflector plate 281 and the lateral
reflector plate 282 are positioned on the diagonal lines 283a and 283b
of the horizontal reflector plate 283, and a triangular prism reflector
chambers 375R are defined, each of them is surrounded by reflective
surfaces 281r, 282r and 283r. These three reflective surfaces 281r,
282r and 283r of the reflector chambers 375R intersect with one another
to make right angles ~ to make up a triangular corner reflector SCR.
Seventh Embodiment
The seventh embodiment of the present invention will be
described with Figs. 20 to 25. The difference between this embodiment
and the first embodiment (Figs. 1 to 13) is as follows:
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(1) A balloon B50 and a reflector B75 are separately formed and
independent of each other so that each of B50 and B75 are independently
transformable each other. Further, a tube-like rib 600 is provided
tension means for pulling the outer circumferential edge portions of
the reflector.
This tube-like rib 600 is fixedly secured to outer
circumferential edge portions 81a, 82b and 83c of the reflector plates
and is made to expand to pull the reflector plates at the inflation of
the balloon B50, so that the reflector takes the designed shape.
Further, the tube-like rib 600 communicates with the second gas
passing hole 53b of the air charging plug 51 and is made of the same
transformable material as that of the balloon B50. For example, the
rib 600 is made of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin having
a diameter of ~ = 10 mm. The material and diameter can be determined
appropriately as necessary.
The reflector plates 81 to 83 come into a state of being
perpendicular to each other when the tube-like rib 600, inflating
simultaneously with the balloon B50, gets into the given shape, and the
outer circumferential edge portions 81a, 82a and 83a are welded to the
tube-like rib 600 over their overall lengths.
In the balloon B50, the reflector B75 establishes four
1 / 8-spherical reflector chambers 75R on each of the upper and lower
surfaces of the horizontal reflector plate 83. The three reflective
surfaces 81r, 82r and 83r of the reflector chambers 75R meet at right
angles to each other to form a triangular corner reflector SCR.
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The gas, flowing from the gas bomb 10 into the fitting hole 17,
passes through the gas passing holes 53a and 53b and subsequently comes
into the balloon B50 and the tube-like rib 600 so that both B50 and 600
respectively inflate to have the given shapes. In accordance with the
expansion of this tube-like rib 600, the outer circumferential edge
portions 81a to 83a of the respective reflector plates 81 to 83 are
pulled outwardly by the tube-like rib 600, with the result that each of
the respective reflector plates 81 to 83 assume a flat plate shape to
intersect perpendicularly to each other so that four triangular corner
reflectors SCR (as shown in Fig. 24) are formed on each of the upper
and lower surfaces of the horizontal reflector plate 83 and take their
designed shapes as shown in Fig. 25 (eight in total). In this instance,
the inner diameter DB of the balloon B50 and the outer diameter DR of
the tube-like rib 600 are set to be equal to each other. Accordingly,
when inflated to take the designed shapes, both are placed into contact
with each other, and hence the tube-like rib 600 can accurately assume
its designed shape due to the restriction on its deformation by the
inner surface of the balloon B50.
If close contact with B50 and 600 obstructs the smooth flow of
the gas into the balloon B50, the supply rate of the gas, the supply
starting time and others can be adjusted so that the tube-like rib 600
comes into the designed shape after the balloon B50 does, or
a common gas passing hole can be made in the central portion of the
intersection of the respective reflector plates 81, 82 and 83 to
communicate with the respective reflector chambers 75R.
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(2) First and second gas passing holes 53a and 53b are made in the
air charging plug 51. The first gas passing hole 53a is communicated
with the interior of the balloon B50, whereas the second gas passing
hole 53b is branched from the first gas passing hole 53a and is
communicated with the interior of the tube-like rib 600. Instead of
a common use of the air chaging plug 51, it is also possible to provide
two air charging plugs, one is for the balloon and the other is for
the tube-like rib respectivelY.
Eighth Embodiment
The eighth embodiment of the present invention will be
described with Fig. 26. The difference between this embodiment and the
seventh embodiment is as follows:
(1) Instead of the rope 13 being connected to the air charging
plug 51, the balloon B50 is covered by a net 100 and the rope 13 is
connected to the net 100.
The size of the meshes and the material of the net 100 can
be appropriatelY selected as needed. For example, the net 100 can be
made using a silken gut for fishing lines. Upon utilizing this net 100,
when the roPe 13 is drawn, tensile force is transmitted through the net
100 to the balloon B50, with the result that the balloon B50 does not
experience a large load of the force locally or intensively.
(2) The outer diameter DR of the tube-like rib 600 is made to be
smaller than the inner diameter DB of the balloon B50. With this
structure, a gap is defined therebetween at the time of the expansion,
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
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so that the tube-like rib 600 gets into a floating state within the
balloon B50.
Ninth Embodiment
The ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Figs. 27 and 28. The difference between this embodiment and the
seventh embodiment is as follows:
(1) The material of a balloon B150 is an acrylic nitrile stylene
acrylic ester.
(2) The outer diameter DR of the tube-like rib 600 is made to be
smaller than the inner DB of the baiioon Bi5û. 'w'hereupon, a gap is
~ defined therebetween at the expansion so that the tube-like rib 600
gets into a floating state within the balloon B150.
(3) A reflector B175 is formed using square reflector plates 181
to 183, and the diagonal line 183a of the horizontal reflector plate
183 is made to coincide with the diagonal line of the longitudinal
reflector plate 181 so that both the plates 183 and 181 meet at right
angles to each other, and the other diagonal line 183b of the reflector
plate 183 is made to coincide with the diagonal line of the lateral
reflector plate 182 so that both the plates 183 and 182 take orthogonal
relation to each other. In the balloon B150, triangular pyramid
reflector chambers 175R are formed, each of them is surrounded by
right isosceles triangular reflective surfaces 181r, 182r and 183r.
These three reflective surfaces 181r, 182r and 183r of the reflector
chambers 175R meet with right angles ~ to each other to set up
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
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a triangular corner reflector SCR.
Tenth Embodiment
The tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with Fig. 29. The difference between this embodiment and the seventh
embodiment is as follows:
(1) The inner diameter of a balloon B250 is made to be larger than
the length of the diagonal lines 283 and 283b of a reflector. In
consequen~e, a gaP is defined therebetween at the expansion, so that
the tube-like rib 600 gets into a floating state within the balloon
B250.
(2) A reflector B275 is constructed with square reflector plates
281 to 283, and the longitudinal reflector plate 281 and the lateral
reflector plate 282 are respectively placed on the middle point
connecting lines 283a and 283b of the horizontal reflector plate 282
to meet at right angles with each other.
Regular cubic reflector chambers 275R are formed, each of them
is surrounded by square reflective surfaces 281r, 282r and 283r.
These three reflective surfaces of the reflector chamber 275R
meet with right angles ~ to one another, thus constituting a triangular
corner reflector SCR. The middle point connecting line signifies the
straight line for making connection between the middle points of
respective two opposite sides of the horizontal reflector plate.
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
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Eleventh Embodiment
The eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be
described with Fig. 30. The difference between this embodiment and the
tenth embodiment (Fig. 29) is that the longitudinal reflector plate 281
and the lateral reflector plate 282 are disposed on the diagonal lines
283c and 283d of the horizontal reflector plate 283, respectively.
Then, a triangular prism reflector chambers 375R are formed, each of
them is surrounded by reflective surfaces 281r, 282r and 283r. The
three reflective surfaces 281r, 282r and 283r meet at right angles
to one another, thus forming a triangular corner reflector SCR.
Twelfth Embodiment
The twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be
~ described with Figs. 31 and 32. The difference between this embodiment
and the seventh embodiment (Figs. 20 to 25) is that a wind tunnel 500
is formed in order to allow the balloon B50 to stably float. The wind
tunnel 500 is composed of a pluralitY of air current paths, for example,
four air current paths 501 with the same shape are provided in the upper
half section of the balloon B50. Each of the air current paths 501 is
comprised of a sector-shape path member 502 which is welded to an outer
surface 50S of the balloon B50. The same material as that of the
balloon B50 is used here for the sector-shape path member 502, but
a different material can be adoptable as long as the material has
a property similar to that of the balloon B50.
For welding the sector-shape path member 502 to the outer
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
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surface 50S of the balloon B50, both side edge portions 502a of the
member 502 are adhered to the outer circumferential edge Portions 81a
and 82a of a reflector plate. However, this invention is not limited
to the adhesion to that portions. For example, it is also possible
that they are fixedlY adhered to portions of the outer surface 50S of
the balloon B50 positioned between the reflector plate outer edge
portions 81a and 82a. The positions, opening area and others of the
inlet 503 and outlet 504 of the air current path 501 can be determined
as ne-eded. For example, the opening area of the outlet 504 can be set
to 3/10 of that of the inlet 503 and the opening height Y1 of the outlet
504 can be set to 3/10 of the opening height Y2 of the inlet 503.
This inlet 503 is positioned in the vicinity of the reflector
plate 83, while the outlet 504 is positioned in the vicinity of the
top 50T of the balloon B50.
In this embodiment, when the balloon B50 floats, an air flow
enters the inlet 503 of the air current path 501 of the wind tunnel
500 as indicated by an arrow A500 and goes up so as to press the air
current path 501 upwardlY and then exits from the outlet 504.
At this time, since the opening area of the inlet 503 is
smaller than that of the outlet 504, the air entering the inlet 503
always remains within the air current path 501 and is discharged from
the outlet 504 little by little. AccordinglY, the balloon B50 receives
a buoyancy owing to the air current path 501 and smoothlY rises because
its rising direction is stabilized bY the air curent path 501.
As a matter of course, this wind tunnel is also applicable to
CA 02209288 1997-07-02
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the first embodiment (Figs. 1 to 13).
According to the present invention, with the foregoing
structures, each of the reflector plates is stretched by the tension
means to take a flat plate shape at the time of the expansion of the
balloon, thereby providing the reflector with the designed shape.
Accordingly, the radar wave emitted from a radar is reflected
back to the radar side by the reflector, thus allowing the radar to
catch the reflected wave without fail, which enables the early
detection of the place of a distress and the quick rescue of the
sufferer.
In addition, since the balloon and the reflector are made to be
waded uP into a small volume for storing, the refuge indicator is
very portable.
Moreover, since the wind tunnel is equipped, the balloon can
stably rise. It means that the reflector take the position where
the radar can easily find it, which enables a quicker discovery and
rescue of a sufferer.
